Blade mounting means for air control apparatus



p y 1%? E. H. JOHNSON 393 3 BLADE MOUNTING MEANS FOR AIR CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Sept. 50, 1964 72' INVENTOR.

E13 I/YAHD H. JUHNEUM.

United States Patent 3,313,226 BLADE MQUNTING MEANS FOR AIR CONTROL APPARATUS Edward H. Johnson, Maumee, Ohio, assignor to The American Warming & Ventilating, Inc., Toledo, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 400,431 7 Claims. (Ci. 98-40) This invention relates to air control apparatus such as a damper, diffuser, or the like, and more particularly to means for mounting the blades of such apparatus.

The blade mounting means in accordance with the invention is advantageously used with diffusers for air conditioning units, for example, for directing air in particular directions therefrom. In such an instance, the blades can be turned by hand to any of a wide variety of individual positions or they can be motor-operated when connected together. The mounting means of the invention also is particularly effective for use with dampers controlling the air flow in ducts or the like. In the case of the diffuser application, the main purpose of the mounting means is to hold the blades in pre-set positions, whereas with the damper, the main purpose of the mounting means is to provide a seal between the ends of the blades and the frame. For the diffuser, the seal provided by the mounting means may also be of importance and for dampers, the holding of the blades in given positions may also be important.

It has been found that some portions of the blade mounting arrangements heretofore known are readily susceptible to damage, particularly during transportation of the assembled apparatus, thereby impairing the holding and sealing power of the mounting means when subsequently installed.

The present invention relates to improved mounting means for blades of a damper, difluser, or the like which provides a more effective seal and better frictional contact with the blades than those heretofore known. The new mounting arrangement also substantially eliminates the possibility of accidental damage as has heretofore occurred. Further, the new mounting arrangement is less expensive than many of those heretofore known.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide new blade mounting means for air control devices in the nature of dampers, diffusers, or the like having the advantages outlined above.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic view in perspective of a damper or diffuser embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged view in horizontal cross section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in vertical cross section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view in horizontal cross section, similar to FIG. 2, of slightly modified blade mounting means according to the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, air control apparatus in the form of a damper or diffuser is basically of conventional design including side frame members 12 and 14, upper and lower frame members 16 and 13, and a plurality of blades 20. The side frame members 12 and 14 have transversely extending flanges 22 with openings 24 therein to receive fasteners and to fasten the air control apparatus 10 in a duct or at the outlet of an air conditioning unit, by way of example.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 2, the side frame member 14 has a U-shaped portion including a main web or strip 26 and spaced supporting flanges 28 and 30 spacing the web 26 from the duct, outlet, etc., in which the apparatus is installed. A plurality of holes 32 are positioned centrally in the web 26 and aligned vertically for rotatably receiving and supporting the blades. The blades can be rotatably supported directly by the openings 32 or flanged bearings 34 can extend through the openings 32 to provide better support for the blades, if desired, the bearings being suitably aflixed to the web 26. The blade 20 has an axle 36 extending from each end with a bearing portion 38 extending through the bearing 34 and with a slotted portion 40 aflixed to the blade. A shoulder 42 is formed between the bearing portion 38 and the slotted portion 40 and can abut the bearing 34 to limit movement of the blade 20 toward the side frame member 14.

A blade-contacting plate 44 of generally U-shaped configuration is located between the end of the blade 20 and the frame web 26. The plate 44 has openings 45 for the axles 36 and side flanges 46 and 48 telescoping with the flanges 28 and 30 of the frame member 14 so that the overall plate nests with the frame member. The plate 44 is urged toward the end of the blade by strips 50 of suitable resilient material, such as rubber or certain foam plastic materials, the strips preferably extending the length of the plate 44.

With the above arrangement, the plate 44 is constantly urged against the ends of the blades 20 and both holds the blades 20 in pre-set positions and provides an effective seal therewith. The cooperation of the side flanges 46 and 48 of the plate 44 and the corresponding flanges 28 and 30 of the frame 14 also substantially eliminates the possibility of air leaking between the plate 44 and the web 26. The telescoping arrangement has the further advantage, however, that should the blades 20 be jammed excessively hard toward the plate 44 and the side frame member, the plate will yield fully and the force will be taken by the resilient strips 50 so as to make it virtually impossible for the plate 44 to be damaged. In mounting arrangements heretofore known, the blade-contacting plates have been arranged so that their edges engage the side frame members whereby a sudden blow by the blades would dent the blade-contacting plates. This reduced their frictional engagement and holding power for the blades as Well as adversely affected the sealing ability.

The possibility of danger to the plate 44 also can be further reduced by the stop means for the blades 20 and the axle 40 achieved through the cooperation of the shoulder 42 and the bearing 34. The shoulder and bearing are arranged so that the blade can move against the plate 44 but not substantially beyond to an extent that damage to the plate could result.

A slight modification of the mounting arrangement of FIGS. 1-3 is shown in FIG. 4. A side frame member 52 is similar to the side frame member 14 having an attaching flange 54, a web 56, and supporting flanges 58 and 60. As shown, the rotatable supporting means of the web 56 simply constitutes openings 62 spaced along the web to receive straight axles 64 of the blades 20. A hearing similar to the bearing 34 can, of course, be used but in either case, the openings 62 rotatably receive the blade axles. The axle 64 differs from the axle 36 in that there is no shoulder between a bearing portion 66 and a slotted portion 68. In place of the shoulder, however, a stop strip 70 is aligned with the axle and extends across the back of the frame member 52, between the flanges 58 and 60, and suitably aflixed thereto. There can be one stop strip for each axle or the strip can extend the length of the frame member. The bearing portion 66 of the axle is sufficiently long to abut the stop strip 70 and limit the movement of the blade 20 toward the side frame member 52, thereby functioning similarly to the cooperation of the shoulder 42 and the bearing 34.

A blade-contacting plate 72 is similar to the plate 44 with axle openings 73 and telescoping side flanges 74 and 76, but the flanges have end ridges 78 and 80 which fit more closely with the flanges 58 and 60 of the side frame member 52 than do the flanges 46 and 48 of FIG. 2. This cooperation of the plate flanges and side frame member substantially prevent any leagage of air between the side frame member and plate. Consequently, it has been found that coiled springs 82 canbe used around the axles 64 in place of the resilient strips 50 extending the length of the side frame members. The coil springs 82 perform substantially the same function as the strips 50 insofar as being effective to urge the plate 72 against the blade 20 to hold the blade in position and form a seal therewith. However, the strips 50 form a seal between the side frame members and plate while the coil springs do not. With the close fitting side flanges in FIG. 4, the additional seal is not necessary and the less expensive coil springs can be substituted for the full length strips. In many instances, the coil springs can be used in place of the strips even though the side flanges of the plate are not formed with the ridges, since a sufliciently close, sliding fit often will be obtainable without such ridges.

Various modifications of the above described embodiment of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, if they are within the spirit and the tenor of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. Air control appartus comprising a frame member including a web and spaced supporting flanges extending the length of the web, said web having a plurality of substantially equaly-spaced openings therealong, a plurality of blades, axles for said blades rotata bly received in said openings, a blade-contacting plate interposed between said frame member and the ends of said blades, said plate having side flanges extending parallelly, alongside, and close to said supporting flanges of said frame member in nesting relationship therewith to restrict flow of air therebetween, said side flanges being narrower than said supporting flanges, and resilient means urging said plate toward the ends of said blades.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said resilient means constitutes a resilient strip extending the length of said blade-contacting plate.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said resilient means constitutes a pair of resilient strips extending the length of said blade-contacting plate on opposite sides of said axles.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said resilient means constitutes coil springs located around at least some of said blade axles.

5. Air control apparatus comprising a frame member including a web and spaced supporting flanges extending the length of the web, said web having a plurality of substantially equally-spaced opening-s therealong, a plurality of blades, axles for said blades rotatably received in said openings, a blade-contacting plate interposed between said frame member and the ends of said blades, said plate having side flanges extending parallelly, alongside, and close to said supporting flanges of said frame member in resting relationship therewith to restrict flow of air therebetween, said side flanges being narrower than said supporting flanges, resilient means between said plate and said web and urging said plate toward the ends of said blades, and stop means associated with said axles for limiting the extent of movement of said blades toward said frame member.

6. Air control apparatus comprising a frame member including a web and spaced supporting flanges extending the length of said web, said web having a plurality of substantially equally-spaced openings therealong, a plurality of blades, axles for said blades rotatably received in said openings, a blade-contacting plate interposed between said frame member and the ends of said blades, said plate having side flanges extending parallelly and close to said supporting flanges of said frame member in nesting relationship therewith to restrict flow of air there-between, resilient means urging said plate toward the ends of said blades, each of said axles having a bearing portion and a blade portion connected to one of said blades and having a shoulder between said portions spaced from the end of the blade, said shoulder having a transverse dimension exceeding the diameter of the corresponding opening to limit movement of the associated blade toward said frame member.

7. Air control apparatus comprising a frame member including a web and spaced supporting flanges extending the length of the web, said web having a plurality of substantially equally-spaced openings therealong, a plurality of blades, axles for said blades rotatably received in said openings, at blade-contacting plate interposed between said frame member and the ends of said blades, said plate having side flanges extending parallelly and close to said supporting flanges of said frame member in nesting relationship therewith to restrict flow of air therebetween, resilient means between said web and said plate and adjacent said axles for urging said plate toward the ends of said blades, and means associated with said frame member and aligned with said axles to limit movementof said blades toward said frame member.

References Cited hy'the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,600,934 6/ 1952 Spieth 981 10 3,007,673 11/1961 Paxton et al 251-308 X 3,084,175 4/1963 Scharres 251-308 X 3,180,246 4/1965 Johnson 9840 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

W. E. VVAYNER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AIR CONTROL APPARATUS COMPRISING A FRAME MEMBER INCLUDING A WEB AND SPACED SUPPORTING FLANGES EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF THE WEB, SAID WEB HAVING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY-SPACED OPENINGS THEREALONG, A PLURALITY OF BLADES, AXLES FOR SAID BLADES ROTATABLY RECEIVED IN SAID OPENINGS, A BLADE-CONTACTING PLATE INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID FRAME MEMBER AND THE ENDS OF SAID BLADES, SAID PLATE HAVING SIDE FLANGES EXTENDING PARALLELLY, ALONGSIDE, AND CLOSE TO SAID SUPPORTING FLANGES OF SAID FRAME MEMBER IN NESTING RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH TO RESTRICT FLOW OF AIR THEREBETWEEN, SAID SIDE FLANGES BEING NARROWER THAN SAID SUPPORT ING FLANGES, AND RESILIENT MEANS URGING SAID PLATE TOWARD THE ENDS OF SAID BLADES. 